With Family For Christmas
by Pissed Off Poet1
Summary: Final chapter is up Another take on a christmas carol. AJ isn't very happy this holiday season...
1. Laura's Warning

(Standard disclaimers apply, please read and review!)  
  
(JAG: Christmas Eve)  
  
A light snow was falling on the Judge Advocate General's building, and every creature with in was stirring, trying to get things done before closing time. Every one was high on Christmas sprit, and so happy about celebrating the holidays; all but one.  
  
"TINER!" AJ Chegwidden bellowed from his office.  
  
"Yes sir!" Tiner said, appearing seconds later.  
  
"Where are those documents I asked for?"  
  
"I'm trying to find them sir," Tiner said hoping his grumpy CO would show some mercy.  
  
"I asked you for them three and a half hours ago! I want them NOW!"  
  
"Yes sir!" Tiner said, snapping two and leaving. One the way to the library he bumped into Harm and Mac.  
  
"Slow down petty officer, where's the fire?"  
  
"The Admiral wants the Frederickson documents and I can't find them. He is really mad."  
  
"Why is he mad?" Mac asked truly concerned.  
  
"I think it has something to do with his daughter ma'am. He got a call from her this morning, and a few minutes later he was yelling at her."  
  
"Yelling at his daughter?" Harm said flabbergasted.  
  
"Yes sir, and if you'll excuse me I had better go find those documents," he said and scurried off.  
  
"Hey Harriet!" Harm said seeing the blonde haired woman out of the corner of his eye.  
  
"Yes sir?" She said walking over.  
  
"Is the Admiral coming to your Christmas party tonight?"  
  
"No sir. He called me in his office this morning and said he was tied up with other things."  
  
"That's not like him," Mac said shaking her head.  
  
"I wonder what's wrong." Mac pondered.  
  
"Well sir, what ever it is, he won't talk about it."  
  
"Maybe he'll talk to me," Harm said heading for the Admiral's office.  
  
"Hey, are we still on for tonight?" Mac said watching Harm walk away.  
  
"Yep; I'll pick you up at eight."  
  
"That means eight o'clock, not eight o five."  
  
"I'll be on time."  
  
(In the Admiral's office)  
  
"Sir is there anything I can do for you?"  
  
"Like what?" He replied angrily.  
  
"Harriet says you won't be joining us for the Christmas. Is that true sir?"  
  
"Yes Commander it is, any other stupid questions?"  
  
The tone in the Admiral's voice made Harm stiffen. He knew it was useless to say anything else so he just said no and was dismissed seconds later.  
  
Fade out  
  
By now the JAG offices had grown silent. Only one light illuminated the office. Admiral AJ Chegwidden sat at his desk still filling out paperwork. The phone call he had with his daughter still replaying in his mind.  
  
"Papa I cannot visit you for Christmas this year."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I am spending it with mother and father."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Mama remarried, and I must spend Christmas here this year."  
  
"But-"  
  
"I'm sorry papa," she said and hung up.  
  
AJ was mad, not only was he not spending Christmas with his daughter, but Meredith had broken up with him this morning, but not telling him why. Ten minutes later he had packed up his brief case and headed home, ready to get the holidays over with. He didn't want to spoil everyone's Christmas with his bad mood, so he decided not to go Harriet's party. Not like he would be welcomed there anyway.  
  
When he got home, he went straight up to bed, not bothering to fix himself anything to eat. He was almost asleep, when he heard the strangest noise. He sat straight up, but after a few minutes passed, and he didn't hear it again, he tried to go back to sleep. CLANG! Now he knew there was someone downstairs. He quietly took out his gun and headed downstairs, he creped into the kitchen where the smell of chicken soup inflamed his senses.  
  
"Well aren't you going to come in and sit down?" a familiar asked. A voice that sent chills down AJ's spine.  
  
Peaking around the corner he saw someone he thought he would never see again. There standing over a pot, was Laura. (A/N: Remember her? the judge that he was seeing that died?)  
  
"How-" But he couldn't seem to finish his sentence.  
  
"Sit down AJ, we need to talk."  
  
Wordlessly he complied.  
  
"I know you are miserable AJ. You think you have no family to spend the holidays with."  
  
"That's because I don't. My daughter-"  
  
"Your daughter isn't your only family."  
  
"Yes she is." The Admiral said firmly not knowing where this conversation was going.  
  
"AJ, right now your family is celebrating Christmas at the Roberts; YOUR family AJ."  
  
"There not my family. They have their own lives, they-"  
  
"AJ I would have never pegged you as the type of guy to make excuses."  
  
"I am not!"  
  
"Yes you are," she said calmly, and got up to turn off the stove. Before he could ask what she was doing, she put the lid on the pot and sat back down.  
  
"The soup can wait for now, we have more important things to talk about."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like how you are going to get a chance to see what you'll be missing on by shutting yourself out."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Remember that story, the Christmas Carol? It'll kinda be like that."  
  
"No-no-no, this can't be happening, I have got to be dreaming."  
  
"Believe what you want, AJ but you know what'll happen. You'll be visited by three ghosts. And see you past, the present and the future. After that you can decide what will happen." And with that she was gone.  
  
AJ shook his head, and went back up to bed shaking his head. It must have been something he ate, he concluded. And tried to go back to sleep.  
  
TBC 


	2. Ghost number one The Past Hurts

(Standard disclaimers apply, please read and review.)  
  
  
  
AJ just went back to bed, when he smelled the faintest trace of cigar smoke. In the corner of his room, Harm sat smoking a cigar. But he looked different some how, a little older, with some grey hair and a mustache.  
  
"Rabb what in the hell is the meaning of this!"  
  
"I'm not the Rabb you are thinking about, kind of the older generation."  
  
"You mean-"  
  
"Harmon Rabb Senior at your service"  
  
"You can't be-"  
  
"I can't be here? I'm dead right? I know Laura explained to you what's going on, so come on. We have so much to do, and so little time."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere."  
  
Harm Sr. just laughed. The hairs on the back of AJ's neck stood up, because his laugh was so much like Harm's.  
  
"You're stubborn. Just like some other people I know. My son included. Come on Admiral we have to get going."  
  
Reluctantly AJ got out of bed, put on his robe and followed Harm's father out his front door.  
  
  
  
  
  
AJ stood flabbergasted at the sight in front of him. He was standing in front of his childhood home. He must have been about eight when they moved into this house.  
  
"Why-"  
  
"What are we standing in front of your childhood home? I wanted to show you some good memories of Christmas. You remember this Christmas don't you?"  
  
"My father came home."  
  
"Yep, after eight months being at sea, your father surprised you and you mother by being home for Christmas."  
  
"That was one of the happiest days of my life. I had missed him so much."  
  
He watched as his father swung him up in the air, and hugged his mother close.  
  
"You miss them don't you?"  
  
"Of course I do."  
  
"Why did they send you to show me this, and not them?"  
  
"I'm glad you asked. Follow me, and I'll show you."  
  
Walking through what seemed like fog, he found himself staring through another window of the past. He saw a man in a marine uniform on top of a woman punching her with all he had. He was about to take a step forward, but Harm Sr. put a hand on his back and made him still. The house was small and dirty, but was clean for the most part. There was a small Christmas tree standing in the corner, with two presents under it.  
  
"What the hell is this?" He demanded. Harm Sr. pointed to the staircase, and pointed to a little girl with her legs drawn up to her chest, staring at the sight of her father beating her mother.  
  
"Is that?-"  
  
"Yep that's Mac; One of her more memorable Christmas's."  
  
"Why are you showing me this?"  
  
"Like Laura said, these are the lives of your family. Harm, Mac, Bud, Harriet, and Sturgis. Some are happier then others, but you need to get the general idea of what a bad Christmas really is. Come on, we have more to see."  
  
"What about Mac?"  
  
"She'll be okay. Let's go."  
  
As if in the blink of an eye, AJ found himself standing outside another house. From the heat, and the size of the house, AJ knew he was standing inside Harm's childhood home. Harm's mother and stepfather looked like they were ready to go out, but AJ didn't see Harm anywhere.  
  
"Harm are you sure you don't want to come to church with us?" Trish asked him, the worry evident in her voice.  
  
"I'm sure!" He heard Harm call down. She gave Frank an exasperated look, as they headed towards the car.  
  
"Come on," Harm Sr. said heading for the stairs. AJ followed him up to Harm's room, and saw him lying sprawled across the bed, holding a picture. He looked maybe about fourteen, with long dark hair. AJ inwardly laughed at the sight. Harm ran his hand over the picture again and again, and on further inspection AJ saw it to be a picture of his father.  
  
AJ looked back at Harm Sr. who shook his head at the sight.  
  
"I'll never give up looking for you Dad, never," Harm whispered to the picture.  
  
"My son lost his childhood the day my plane went down. Christmas has always been hard for him. But I guess now a- days it is easier with friends like his. You included Admiral. He never told you, but you're like a father figure to him. He looks up to you."  
  
"I never knew that," AJ whispered.  
  
"Harm was never really open about his feelings, especially about me. Mac knew some, but he wouldn't let anyone else in that far. But he wanted to though."  
  
AJ said nothing, feeling guilty about the time when Harm was trying to help bring down Osborn, and when he asked if it was possible for Jack to be alive, AJ pounced on him that maybe if Jack was alive, his father could be alive too. AJ hung his head in shame. But if Harm Sr. noticed, he said nothing.  
  
"Come on, there is much more to see."  
  
After visiting the childhood homes of Sturgis, Bud and Harriet, AJ was visibly and sick. Sure some were better then others, but AJ never knew his officers had gone through so much growing up.  
  
Before he knew it, there were once again standing in hid bedroom. Harm Sr. stuck his hands in his flight jacket, and shook his head.  
  
"I know you're all confused now about what to do and everything, but don't worry. After tonight, I'm sure you'll figure things out. Take care of my son sir. You're one of the few that he let's in."  
  
And with those words, he was gone. AJ slumped down on the floor, and rubbed his temples hard. What the hell was going on?  
  
TBC 


	3. Ghost number two The Family Gathered Aro...

(Standard disclaimers apply, please read and review. And if anyone else knows who I can use as my third ghost, please let me know! It will make updating a lot faster. Again, please read and review! Thanks!)  
  
AJ shook his head, and stood up and headed towards his bed only to find someone sitting on it. He took one big step back and looked into the eyes of Greg. Greg was a friend of his that died in Vietnam. How-  
  
"Hey there AJ, I know you know who I am, so let's just skip the pleasantries and get to work."  
  
AJ was speechless. Was that really Greg?  
  
"Greg-"  
  
"AJ, I'm disappointed in you. How could you be so blind? You are lucky that you have so many people that care about you, people that consider you family. Do you know what that family is doing right now AJ? You wouldn't would you? And do you know why? Because you are sitting here feeling sorry for yourself. What happened to you AJ? Whatever happened to that tough take no shit seal that I used to know?"  
  
"A lot has changed."  
  
"That's life AJ. Things do change. But I thought you would have learned by know AJ that the most important things, are right under your nose, or in your command in your case. Come on; let's go take a look at what you family is doing."  
  
Before AJ could protest, they were standing in the doorway of the Roberts living room watching everyone talking and laughing.  
  
"Looks cozy, don't you think?" Greg mussed.  
  
AJ didn't answer but watched as little AJ ran around the room handing out candy canes. Bud and Sturgis were discussing his physical therapy, while Harriet, Mikey, and Tiner were trying to get dinner ready. But where were Harm and Mac?  
  
"Looking for Harm and Mac? They're outside, why don't we go see what there're up to."  
  
Outside, Harm and Mac were standing side by side on the porch watching the snow fall.  
  
"Tonight is a very important night for them." Greg said.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You'll see."  
  
"You know it's been quiet a year," Harm said breaking the silence.  
  
"Yeah, it sure has."  
  
"You miss Chloe, don't you?"  
  
"She is spending Christmas in Florida this year. Her dad is flying in, and they are going to Disney world."  
  
"You'll see her soon."  
  
"I wish."  
  
"You'll make a great mother one day Mac."  
  
"Yeah, like that is ever going to happen," she smirked.  
  
"Don't give up on it just yet Mac."  
  
"But why hold on?"  
  
"You gotta have faith Mac"  
  
"Not a lot of things to have faith in this year."  
  
"Thinking about Mic?"  
  
"Yes and no."  
  
"Care to elaborate?"  
  
"I'm not thinking about Mic being my husband, because more and more I realize how it wouldn't have worked. But if I was married-"  
  
"Don't start thinking like that Mac, it'll make you depressed."  
  
"Too late"  
  
Harm covered his hand with hers, and sighed.  
  
"Life is complicated Mac, dwelling on the 'woulda-coulda- shoulda', only holds you back."  
  
"It's still tough to let go of the thought when you're sitting in your apartment all alone."  
  
"It's not as hard to let go as you think," he said quietly  
  
"I never understood what you had to let go of," she said just as quiet.  
  
AJ stared at the pair wondering what the hell they were talking about, when Greg spoke up.  
  
"What he meant when he said 'it's not as hard to let go as you think', is let go of what is holding them back from being together. They had that conversation a long time ago; needless to say it didn't end as most people would have liked it to."  
  
[I'm referring to all you shipper people out there]  
  
"No wonder he acted so strangely when they came back from Australia."  
  
"Well can you blame him? He lost his only shot at having everything he ever wanted when she came back wearing another mans ring."  
  
AJ was silent, and just watched his officers. The look they were giving each other could have killed.  
  
"That if I got to close to you I would lose you," he whispered.  
  
"Harm-"  
  
"I know Mac, but look at my track record. My father, Diane, Jordan, Annie, and Renee, almost everyone who I have ever gotten close to is gone. I just don't want to lose you Mac. Not as a best friend. But down the line, it just wasn't enough. I've hurt you so many times Sarah, I'm just not sure if you feel that way."  
  
He removed his hand from her and faced towards the house, hanging his head. AJ was speechless. He knew his officers were involved on some deeper level but not like this.  
  
Mac turned around to face him, taking both of his hands in hers, and sighed.  
  
"You'll never lose me Harm. And I never stopped caring about you. I-I never stopped loving you." she said caressing his Harm.  
  
He covered her hand with his and looked up at her. "I love you too Sarah. I'm just scared that if this doesn't work out then I'll lose you forever."  
  
Mac smiled, "you should follow you own advice and have some faith."  
  
He crossed the final line and drew her into his arms for a hug that spoke volumes between them. They stayed outside awhile longer and then rejoined the group. As they all settled down for dinner, little AJ tugged on Harriet's shirt with a concerned look crossing his little face.  
  
"Momma, where is uncle AJ?"  
  
AJ looked around at the pained looks that crossed his officer's faces.  
  
"Ah sweetie, he couldn't come tonight," Harriet said trying to avoid the subject.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Sensing Harriet's distress, at not wanting to answer, Harm spoke up.  
  
"Hey buddy, what is Santa going to bring you for Christmas this year?"  
  
Happy at talking about presents, little AJ made the whole group laugh at his very long Christmas list.  
  
"You see what you did?"  
  
But before he could answer Greg cut in. "They think that you don't want to join them this year is because you think your only family is ten thousand miles away. They all consider each other family, and they thought the feeling was mutual. It certainly was a kick in the stomach to find out otherwise. Your people aren't stupid AJ, you taught them better. It's hard to explain that to o four year old. That's why Harm changed the subject, because he wanted to spare that boy the heartache. That boy looks up to you. And he isn't the only one. I though so many years of war and heartache taught you better AJ."  
  
AJ hung his head, knowing the consequences of his actions. But before he could explain to Greg why he was acting this way, he found himself standing in his own room again.  
  
"This is going to be a long night," AJ muttered to himself.  
  
TBC 


	4. Ghost number threeWhat could be

(A/N: Sorry this took me so long to update, but it finally finished. I had some problems picking out this ghost, but when I finally got around to writing it, I figured the nameless guy worked just as well as any other. I kind of based this on the JAG Christmas episode, but not really. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!! Standard disclaimers apply.)  
  
Fade in  
  
AJ was still sitting against the wall when he felt a cold shiver run down his back. He looked up to see a hooded man standing in front of him. The man, he guessed, was dressed in all black, and his face was hidden. AJ stood up, and stood face to face with the man.  
  
"I'm guessing you're the third ghost."  
  
The ghost didn't answer, only nodded. He gestured towards the door, and AJ followed him. Seconds later he found himself standing in the middle of JAG head quarters. The place was busy like it always was, but there was something different about it. He saw Tiner running towards Harm's office, he knocked and then entered. AJ got a glimpse of a woman sitting behind his desk. Where was Harm? Walking closer to the office, he saw that the name plate read Lt. Commander Frederickson. The woman had a stern face, and was chewing out Tiner, now a Lieutenant, for something.  
  
"I told you I wanted that report half an hour ago! What in the hell took you so long?"  
  
"No excuse ma'am."  
  
"I expected better from you lieutenant," she said in a bitter voice. "Is this what kind of lawyer you are going to be?"  
  
"Yes ma'am, no ma'am."  
  
"Get out of my sight."  
  
Tiner snapped to and quickly left.  
  
"Where the hell is Rabb?" AJ fumed. He knew Rabb wouldn't let anyone talk to Tiner that way. He knew that he would chew that commander out something harsh for talking like that to a junior officer.  
  
The ghost said nothing, but motioned AJ to follow him towards Mac's office. Sitting behind her desk, was a young man no then thirty. From his insignia, he was a marine major. Where the hell was Mac?  
  
He picked up on the phone on the first ring. "Major Lastly" he said listening intently. He jumped out of his chair like he had been burned.  
  
"I see. That's great! I'll tell her, okay, thanks Bud."  
  
"Is he talking about Bud Roberts?" AJ questioned looking towards the ghost. The ghost nodded, as they followed Major Lastly towards his office. AJ didn't even bother looking at the name on the door. He was too afraid to look at who was running this office. When major Lastly knocked on the door, AJ could hear a muffled enter. But he didn't recognize the voice.  
  
AJ stood stock still when he saw who was sitting behind his desk. He figured when he retired that maybe Harm or even Mac would take his place, but not this. Sitting behind his desk, was no other Lauren Singer, now a Captain.  
  
"Can I help you major?"  
  
"Ma'am, I am sorry to barge in on you, I know how busy you are and everything, but I just got a call from Bud Roberts."  
  
"Ah, how is Bud doing?"  
  
"He said that the baby is doing just fine ma'am, and she should be out of the neonatal unit within the week."  
  
"That's good."  
  
"Yes ma'am. It's so sad that he and his wife had to resign their commissions to take care of the new baby and all."  
  
"Dismissed."  
  
The major snapped to. "Yes ma'am," he said and left.  
  
A small smile appeared on Lauren's face as soon as the door closed behind him.  
  
"Well at least he won't be getting in my way any more," she said and laughed.  
  
AJ turned to the ghost in anger and started firing off questions as only a prosecutor could.  
  
"What happened to Bud and Harriet? Where are Rabb, Mackenzie, and Turner?"  
  
Getting no answer from the ghost made AJ even madder. The ghost motioned AJ to follow him, and AJ did without any hesitation.  
  
He caught a glimpse of Sturgis on a submarine, laughing and joking with other members of the crew. He must have gone back to working on subs, AJ mussed. Sturgis slipped out of the room, and into his stateroom. AJ noticed that Sturgis had been promoted to Skipper. AJ felt a surge of pride for the younger man. Sturgis sat down on the bed and pulled out a small picture from his wallet. AJ noticed that it was a picture of him and Bobbie, what looked like on their wedding day. But AJ saw no ring on his finger.  
  
"I miss you Bobbie," he whispered to the picture. "But I'm trying. I just couldn't stay at JAG. Not after everything that happened. I can't even face Harm; I wouldn't know what to say to him. After that assassin came to JAG and started shooting-" he put the picture down and choked back a sob. As soon as he calmed down, he picked up the picture again, and started stroking it.  
  
I think JAG fell apart after that. Harm resigned and only told me he was moving. That it would be too hard to stay here. I don't blame him. I did the same thing by summing here. And the with the Roberts baby-" Sturgis shut his eyes tight and rubbed his head, he was about to say something else, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Skipper, the XO needs you on the bridge," said a young seamen.  
  
"I'll be right there," Sturgis said and stood up. He carefully put the picture back in his wallet, and headed for the bridge. AJ was dumbstruck. What assassin? What was too hard for Harm? And where in the hell was Mac?  
  
AJ followed the ghost, and what seemed like seconds later standing in the cemetery. He had a bad feeling about this.  
  
They walked some ways before walking over to two headstones, where a man with his back to them was standing. Upon getting closer, AJ recognized the man to be Harm. He looked older, with a few gray hairs, and a few worry lines starting to appear. In his hand were two bouquets of roses. He finally looked at the headstones that Harm was looking at, and felt like he had been punched in the stomach. SARAH MACKENZIE RABB and HARMON RABB III was what the headstones read. He noticed that the baby died, the same day that he was born. But how could this be? Then he finally figured it all out. The assassin, Harm resigning his commission, it all made perfect sense now.  
  
Harm hunched over both graves and traced the names with his fingers. He placed one bouquet of roses, carefully against Mac's grave and the other bouquet against his son's grave. He said nothing, just staring each of the graves, while the tears slid down his face. After a few minutes, he finally got up, and brushed the snow off his coat, saluted Mac, and left.  
  
"I don't know what to say," AJ whispered.  
  
The ghost turned his back to him and started walking again. AJ followed him, not knowing what more there could be?  
  
He found himself standing in what only could be a retirement center. They followed a pair of nurses down a narrow hallway, chatting amicably.  
  
"So have you seen the new guy yet?"  
  
"Who? You mean AJ Chegwidden?"  
  
"Yeah, him."  
  
"No not yet, what's his story?"  
  
"He won't talk. Apparently he was the Judge Advocate General until some guy came up and shot up the place. I think the guy's that did it, was named was Coster or something."  
  
"Oh I heard about that. A lot people died that day."  
  
"Yeah, I heard one of his officers was pregnant and when she got shot, they tried to do a c-section and save the baby, but both of them died."  
  
"A congress woman died too right?"  
  
"Yeah, that was so sad."  
  
"So why did the guy do it?"  
  
"Apparently he was stalking one of his officers a few years ago, the pregnant one that died, and when he found out that she was married, he just lost it. They said AJ had the chance to stop Coster before he did anything, but didn't."  
  
"Wow."  
  
"But anyway, AJ just stopped talking after that. The only other family he had was a daughter that lived in Italy. She could come, so the SECNAV just decide to put in here. He won't do anything but sit and stare off in space."  
  
"He's still in shock."  
  
"It's been over three years."  
  
The two nurses separated, but the ghost lead AJ down another hallway stopping short at one of the rooms. AJ peeked in and saw himself sitting in a chair staring at the wall.  
  
"So this is what happens to me? I go into some cationic state after that basterd Coster kills Mac and Bobbie?"  
  
He leaned back against the wall as the implication sunk in.  
  
The ghost turned his back on AJ and started walking away again. AJ followed, but couldn't quite keep up with him. Soon he heard the shrill ringing of the phone. His head shot up, and he found himself back in his office. But how could that be? He looked down at the clock, and saw that it was only five thirty, half an hour until Harriet's party. Was it all just a bad dream?  
  
AJ rubbed his eyes and held his head in his hands, wondering what to do. Seconds later he grabbed his cover and proceeded to close up for the night. He had a party to get to.  
  
On the way to Bud and Harriet's he knew that he had to change. He realized that he his family wasn't ten thousand miles away, but right here and Washington. His family was right now having dinner, and if he didn't hurry he would miss it. He knew he had a chance to change what could be.  
  
When he opened the door, Bud was standing up, with his glass raised; about to make a toast, he smiled when he spotted AJ.  
  
"Merry Christmas sir!"  
  
"I hope I'm not late," AJ said in a gruff voice.  
  
"You're right on time sir."  
  
He took his place at the table, and smiled as he looked around at all his officers having a good time. Yes this was his family, and as many headaches as they gave him sometimes, he would trade them for the world.  
  
END 


End file.
